The cost of doing business for south-west producers will soar thanks to Labor’s dodgy West Gate Tunnel deal, South West Coast MP Roma Britnell says.
Mrs Britnell said motorists and freight operators using CityLink would take a hip pocket hit after the Andrews Labor Government signed a secretive deal with Transurban that will increase tolls to pay for a completely different new road – the West Gate Tunnel.
The Parliamentary Budget Office has released a report into the West Gate Tunnel Project and CityLink tolls, which estimates the deal struck by the Andrews Labor Government will cost motorists an extra $37.3 billion in tolls.
The analysis shows that $26.5 billion of that increase (around 71 per cent) will come exclusively from CityLink users – and that includes South West Coast motorists and freight operators who use the tollway when going about their business in the city
Mrs Britnell said the cost of doing business would skyrocket as a result of Labors dodgy deal.
“Those who drive utes to Melbourne and use CityLink are already unfairly hit with a premium commercial toll and now, thanks Daniel Andrews’, they will be paying more – even if that ute is the family car,” Mrs Britnell said.
“Commercial vehicles already pay higher tolls, so any movement of fresh produce or freight that goes across the state via Melbourne will cost even more with Labor’s toll increases, and there will be a third commercial category added under this new deal.
“The last thing farmers and regional businesses need is escalating costs, but that’s exactly what the Premier for Melbourne’s dodgy Transurban deal delivers.”
“It is gobsmacking that while refusing to fix country roads, Daniel Andrews is arrogantly slugging country drivers to pay for his Melbourne tunnel deal.”
Labor has axed the $160 million Country Roads and Bridges program and slashed hundreds of thousands more from VicRoads country maintenance budget.
Last week Labor MPs refused to support a Liberal Nationals’ amendment to the Transport Legislation Amendment Bill that would have increased funding for country roads.
